By Tristan Brown-DeVirgilio
Campus News
Jennifer Cella (pictured), an accomplished vocalist and musician, is returning to her alma mater, Nassau Community College, for a one-night Adele tribute concert performance on Saturday, February 25th. There will be two shows, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., at NCC’s Theatre.
Cella got her start, in some sense, at NCC. After attending NYU for a short time, Cella transferred to the community college, studying theater and liberal arts. During her time there, she performed in numerous school plays. “Nassau Community College was a very important part of my journey…. I learned so much while attending, performing in excellent productions, and really flourished as a performer.”
Cella is known for playing with the rock opera group Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She toured with the band from 2001 through 2007 and again in 2021. She famously sang lead vocals on “Christmas Canon Rock,” as well as other songs on several TSO albums. Cella has played in other bands as well, including her own band The Cover Girl Band. She currently plays in an acoustic duo with Jeff Allegue, a founding TSO member.
The show, Absolute Adele Tribute, is the result of Cella’s passion for the English artist’s work. Adele’s first album, 19, debuted in 2008. Since then, Cella has been a fan, and has been learning the artist’s style. “I would say that I’ve been learning Adele’s style inadvertently since she made her debut.”
One of Cella’s goals with the show is to best capture Adele’s style, “to give the audience the feeling that they are at an actual Adele concert.” Cella is focused on capturing the details, including matching the notes, tone, and unique flow of the pop star’s concerts. It will be as much an act as a concert.
The show is importantly different from Adele’s shows. Adele’s latest tour, a concert residency, Weekends with Adele, runs through March this year. It takes place in Last Vegas, NV, and follows her latest album, 30, released in November 2021. Tickets for the tour range from roughly $1,000 to $30,000. Consistent with Cella’s goal to replicate the Adele experience, Absolute Adele Tribute offers people a comparable experience for a small fraction of the cost of a genuine Adele show.
Cella will be joined by a group of musicians who share the same “deep respect and adoration” for Adele, including two current NCC students, vocalists Angeli Santander and Kai-enne Sohan. Jeff Allegue, bass, will also be joining her. Other band members include Michael Hunter on violin and guitar; Mark Ambrosino, drums; and Mark Klett on piano.
To find out more about the concert night, one might visit NCC’s website, www.ncc.edu, and accessing college news releases. In addition, one might access Cella’s social media accounts: Facebook at Jennifer Cella and YouTube of the same name.
“Join us for a night you won’t soon forget.”
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